1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interactive method of presenting information in an image and, more specifically, a method allowing the user to interact with a system that mixes real and virtual information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the future society, the technical systems will be increasingly complicated and interconnected in complex structures. At the same time the technical maintenance staff must be more generally usable than is the case now that a large number of specialists are employed. The maintenance staff will therefore need an intuitive technical support system which is easy to use.
Such a system can be based on Mixed Reality (MR) which comprises techniques and methods where real and virtual visual information are mixed. By approaching an object, the user of an MR system can, based on his own needs, have relevant information about the object projected in his field of vision. The information may concern a system or an individual component. It may also involve a performance operation, for instance, how a component is to be dismounted, or the tightening moment which is to be applied in mounting. The user can also via the MR system obtain support in fault localisation and have a corrective measure presented to himself.
The technical development has made it possible, and makes it possible to an increasing extent, for an individual to register with his senses virtually created information which to some extent corresponds to the information he is used to experience from reality. This means that it is possible to divide reality into two parts, the real world and the virtual world. The two worlds can be mixed by means of technical devices so that a user of such a technical device can perceive the two worlds as one.
In MR, the virtual and real worlds can thus be mixed. In a first step, it is possible to start from only mixing visual image information from the two worlds, but in a subsequent step, also acoustic and tactile/haptic information from the two worlds can be included. For the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the invention described below, the description is restricted mainly to comprise merely visual image information.
MR can be used in many different applications, such as for training, repair, maintenance and manufacture, in various fields, for instance in medicine, manufacturing industry, adventure industry and in military contexts.